It is easy to generate electric grill smoke so that you can smoke meat and grill food with wood-fired flavor. There is no question your grilled and smoked foods will taste amazing!
Just like the ingredients you put in or on food, smoke adds flavor. Because of the small, enclosed space of the grill, it does not take a lot of smoke. And like other flavors, you can add too much and it can be overwhelming and bitter. To achieve a controlled, consistent level of smoke, use a perforated metal smoker tube and wood pellets. The pellets will start to smolder and smoke while the grill is preheating without needing an open flame. If the pellets do catch on fire, close the lid until they go out.
Wood Pellet Choice
To add a pleasant flavor, you want a small amount of smoke from wood with a lighter smoke flavor. I use pecan as my go-to outdoor electric grill smoke wood. It has a flavor similar to hickory but not as strong. I sometimes use a blend of hickory and a sweeter wood, such as apple, cherry, or maple. Hickory and mesquite are very strong and can be too much by themselves unless smoking larger cuts of beef or pork that can take on more intense smoke. Even then, I like to use a blend. I avoid using mesquite because I find the smoke to be too strong and bitter.
Wood Pellet Amount
As the outer layer of food cooks, it tends to absorb less smoke. So, you only need to provide smoke for about half the grilling time. The length of time the smoker tube will generate smoke is determined by the wood pellet amount used.
If you are using a small number of pellets, shake the tube to distribute them into a single layer. A single layer will establish persistent smoke in about 25 minutes of High Heat preheat time on the Weber Q1400. If you are using a larger amount, evenly distribute the pellets in the smoker tube. It will take about 30 minutes before more than a single layer of pellets start to produce sustained smoke.
For about 5 minutes of smoke, use 1 1/2 Tablespoons of pellets. This is a good amount for foods that grill quickly or if you want to add just a little smoke flavor. For foods that you want to smoke and slow cook for hours, use up to 1/2 cup of pellets to get about 2 hours of smoke. The following table lists smoke times and pellet amounts.
| Smoke Time | Pellet Amount | Preheat Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 1 1/2 Tablespoons | 25 min |
| 10 min | 2 Tablespoons | 25 min |
| 20 min | 2 1/2 Tablespoons | 25 min |
| 30 min | 3 Tablespoons | 25 min |
| 60 min | 1/4 cup | 30 min |
| 90 min | 1/3 cup | 30 min |
| 120 min | 1/2 cup | 30 min |
Be sure the wood pellets are smoking well before putting food on the grill or reducing the grill temperature. The temperature inside the grill decreases when you put food on it even if you leave it set on High Heat. If you put the food on or reduce the temperature before the pellets get hot enough to sustain smoldering, they can stop smoking.
Cedar Plank Grilling
Another common method for adding smoke flavor to food is to cook it on a cedar plank. Soaking the plank not is required since the heat is less intense than on a charcoal grill. Simply place the cedar plank smooth side down on the cooking grates. Preheat the grill on High Heat for 30 minutes, flipping the plank over (to smooth side up) after 20 minutes through the preheat time.